WHITNEY PHILLIPS/ wphillips@greeleytribune.com
Caesar, an 18-pound miniature Schnauzer, pulls hundreds of pounds as his owner, Richard Felice, cheers him on. Caesar was one of several serious competition dogs who showed their skills at Sunday's Weld County 4-H Dog Project event.

WHITNEY PHILLIPS/ wphillips@greeleytribune.com
Joey, a 12-pound miniature Schnauzer, pulls the 100-pound cart with encouragement from his owners, Emily Tucker, 8, and her mom, Candi Tucker. Emily is a first-year member of the Weld County 4-H Dog Project, and she and Joey participated in sports Sunday for the first time.

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At Sunday’s Dog Sports Day, organized by the Weld County 4-H Dog Project, what mattered most was the size of the fight in the dog.

During one event, Joey, a 4-year-old miniature Schnauzer tipping the scale at just 12 pounds, pulled a cart weighing at least 100 pounds. Joey, harnessed to the cart, pulled with all his might to get a treat from his 8-year-old owner, Emily Tucker, a first-year 4-H member. After his and Emily’s first few attempts at the sport, Joey pulled 190 pounds.

Caesar, a miniature Schnauzer weighing 18 pounds and trained by owner Richard Felice, pulled hundreds of pounds. Gilden said Caesar pulled 680 pounds at January’s National Western Stock Show. Felice planned to put on a demonstration at Sunday’s event but turned it into an unofficial pulling event, allowing the 4-H members to give the sport a try.

For the first time, the annual Dog Sports Day was open to the public, and Gilden said the club hoped that would help raise more funds. The event featured the weight pull, a course for owners to practice training their dogs, and a new event ­— the barn hunt. Participants who aren’t 4-H members paid to enter their dogs in the sports.

Proceeds from Sunday’s event at the Island Grove Regional Park Events Center go toward the Weld County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, which operates largely on donations. Gilden said they raised about $300 last year, but raised about $1,600 on Sunday.

Scott Chambers and Michael Knee, sheriff’s deputies who handle dogs on the K-9 unit, gave demonstrations at the event with Dragonn, a Belgian Malinois. Chambers, who handles Dragonn, said the unit is grateful for the donations. The unit now has four canines, including Knee’s dog Daemon, a Dutch Shepherd.

Chambers said he was impressed to see how the young 4-H members trained and handled their dogs.

Denise Miller, the dog project’s event coordinator, said the club aims to educate the 4-H members about being responsible with their dogs.

“Our goal is that they learn to be better citizens with their animals,” she said.

Miller’s 16-year-old daughter, Amanda Miller, has been in 4-H for eight years and has had her dog Amber in the club for four years. She said she is learning valuable leadership and communication skills.